The Game of Love
by Paris in December
Summary: James has been captured by Lucius Malfoy, and now he has to make a choice. Written for the HPFC 3rd Anniversary Party: Marry, Shag, Kill - Writing Game Style. Regulus/James, a bit of James/Lily. Chapters: 1/1. Never Tell series.


**Author's Note:** Written for Marry, Shag, Kill: Writing Game Style for the HPFC 3rd anniversary party. I was assigned James as a main character and Regulus, Lily, and Lucius as my choices by Aenaris.

* * *

"Are you ready to play my game, Potter?"

James looked up to see Lucius Malfoy stalking around him in a circle. Horrified, he tried to move away, but he seemed to be stuck to the spot with magic.

Malfoy gave a malicious laugh. "What is it, Potter? Can't escape my Permanent Sticking Charm? Pathetic, aren't you? Well, never fear." He waved his wand, and the charm lifted. James immediately ran for cover, but Malfoy shouted a spell he didn't recognize and hauled him back to the center of what James now realized was a circle marked in white chalk on the floor of an unfamiliar stone room.

It looked an awful lot like a dungeon, a small one with nothing in it but their little circle and the two of them. Had he been captured? He couldn't remember…

"Apparently you're not ready." Malfoy tsked and flicked his wand, forcing James into a sitting position on the ground. "No matter. I have yet to explain the rules of the game."

James wanted to yell or scream or anything to get Malfoy to leave him alone, but his mouth didn't seem to be working. No doubt this was due to another nasty Dark spell, because it didn't feel like a normal Silencing Charm. He could have broken a normal Silencing Charm. Regulus had taught him how.

"In my game, Potter," said Malfoy, sitting cross-legged in front of James, "you have to make a choice. I will present you with two options. With one of these people, you will receive a single night of pure… sexual enjoyment. With the other, you will receive a lifetime of marriage without ever consummating it. I have already prepared the necessary spells to ensure that you will not cheat."

James found he was able to talk again. "What are my choices?" He tried for a disdainful tone, but his voice came out as sort of a croak, so it didn't work terribly well.

Malfoy chuckled. "Patience, my young friend. All will be revealed in time." He stood up again and started moving around the circle, chanting in words that sounded more like nonsense than Latin. James allowed himself to hope briefly that the spells actually _were_ nonsense and that they wouldn't work, but as he felt an odd clenching feeling in the area of his groin, he guessed that it wouldn't be as easy as that.

But he couldn't _really_ spend the rest of his life married to someone _Malfoy_ chose, could he?

At last, the horrible Slytherin finished and returned to the forefront of James's vision. "Now then. The spells are complete; all that remains is the decision." He waved his wand and opened a set of curtains behind him, revealing Lily Evans and – James swallowed hard – Regulus Black. Both of them looked oddly frozen, as though they'd been put into stasis.

"Evans or Black, Potter?" said Malfoy softly. "Oh, and I forgot one stipulation. Whomever you choose to have sex with, I will kill that person after you have finished."

Merlin. How was he supposed to make _that_ decision?

On the one hand, Regulus was his friend and lover. The idea of being tied to Regulus forever, without ever having sex, was nightmarish, and he knew Regulus would be absolutely miserable. But could he really make the other choice, knowing that Malfoy would then kill his love?

On the other hand, the thought of sex with _Lily_ was not nearly as attractive as it had once been; in fact, it was rather a turn-off. He didn't doubt she felt the same way. It would not be difficult to spend a lifetime married to her without having sex, but if that meant Regulus died?

"How are you doing this?" James wanted to know, eying the Slytherin cautiously. "How did you get me here?"

Malfoy tapped his Head Boy badge and shook his head. "Never mind that, Potter. Make your choice."

James thought of what Regulus would say if he chose to kill Lily so that he could spend a horrible, sexless lifetime with the other man.

"I'll marry Lily," he said hoarsely.

Malfoy laughed, looking much more like an adult than James had ever seen him. He must be in his mid-twenties now, right? Andromeda was the same age. Malfoy waved his wand again at the curtained area. While Lily remained in stasis, Regulus came awake and stumbled forward. James noticed for the first time that there were shackles around his lover's legs.

"James?" Regulus whispered. He sank to the floor and crawled forward to the center of the blackened circle. "What's happening?"

"Reg, listen, I had to do this," James said, his voice breaking. "I have to have sex with you now, and marry Lily… and Malfoy will kill you after this. But the alternative was marrying you and never having sex again, and killing Lily…"

Regulus shook his head. "I like this option better."

So they undressed – as best they could with both their shackles in the way – and they had sex there on the cold stone floor, in full view of that voyeur Malfoy. It was a desperate act of love and loss.

"_Avada kedavra_," said Malfoy, his voice cold, the moment James pulled out of Regulus. The green light flashed, and Regulus slumped before him.

As Malfoy revived Lily and brought her forward for the bonding spell, James felt the chill of anger start to flow through him. How could Malfoy _do_ this to him?

The spell was cast. Lily was looking at him curiously, but he could not think about the ring that slid onto his finger, tying him to her forever in marriage. Instead, he focused on Malfoy and raised his wand – how had he gotten it?

"_Avada kedavra!_"

* * *

"Whoa, mate, easy there," said Regulus's voice, sounding alarmed. "Don't kill me!"

James sat up abruptly. "Malfoy! I'm gonna kill _Malfoy_!"

Regulus chuckled. "I'm sure you will, but he's not here. That must've been one hell of a nightmare, though."


End file.
